Hethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association was founded in February 2011 to bring together sports and leisure groups along with individuals involved in fitness and well being, either in a professional or volunteer capacity. It meets quarterly to celebrate sport, recreation and well being in Hethersett, Great Melton and Little Melton. Club membership is just £5 per year and individual membership is free. You can download a membership form by clicking here. In 2014 HaMSA amalgamated with the Hethersett Olympic Legacy Committee

The minutes from the October 2016 meeting are online. Just click the relevant link on the left side menu.

Shortlisted for Award

Hethersett has once again been shortlisted for Norfolk Sports Village of the Year. The winners will be announced on November 15th in the annual competition organised by Active Norfolk in conjunction with the Eastern Daily Press and Radio Norfolk. The three shortlisted villages/towns for the final are Hethersett, Fakenham and Downham Market. Hethersett will also be recognised for being a past champion of champions - an award we received in 2011.

Pavilion PlansHethersett and the Meltons’ Sports Association (HAMSA) is throwing its weight behind plans to build a community pavilion on Hethersett Memorial Playing Field. Planning permission has already been granted for renovation, extension and modernisation, but to date application for grants has not proved fruitful. The latest meeting of HAMSA featured a lengthy discussion on the future or the pavilion. Members agreed that any building should be for multi-purpose community use and not just for sports groups/clubs. The pavilion should become a focal point for the village. It was agreed that work is needed to illustrate the positive impact that a pavilion would have on the community. It was underlined that the current pavilion isn’t fit for purpose and is an “embarrassment to the village.” Suggestions for use of a new building included a daily café and use as a community facility for meetings. HAMSA has awarded a grant of £100 to Hethersett Athletic Football Club to finance the start up for a new under-6s team. The next meeting of HAMSA will be the annual meeting and has been set for Monday 23rd January, 2017, at 7.30 p.m at Park Farm Hotel

Ian's Honours

Ian Bryce was crowned Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club’s player of the year at the club’s presentation evening held at the George Hotel, Norwich. Young spinner Sam Morton was named club bowler of the year. He took 61 wickets at an average of 19.18. The Best Performance of the season award went to Ollie Kilbourn for his innings of 134 for the fourth team against top of the table Southwold. The most improved player award went to Andy Baker and the club person of the year award was shared between social committee chair Harriet Matthews and first team skipper Damian Fahy for their outstanding contribution to the club over the 2016 season. The young player of the year award went to David Mathews. Other awards presented by club president Richard G. Ellis included the following: Duck Cup for most ducks - Lucy Morton and John Ranson. Catching Cup (excluding wicketkeepers) - Damian Fahy. Catching Cup (including wicketkeepers) - Damian Fahy and Steven Hayes. Second Team Batsman of the Year - Richard D. Ellis. Second Team Bowler of the Year - Matt Steward. Third Team Batsman of the Year - Cameron Clarke. Third Team Bowler of the Year - Cameron Clarke. Fourth Team Batsman of the Year - Ollie Kilbourn. Fourth Team Bowler of the Year - Mark Worley

County Champions Again

We are very proud to announce that Hethersett and the Meltons were crowned Norfolk Village Games Champions for the second time in three years at the University of East Anglia Sports Park on Sunday10th, 2016.

We came first in the section for Medium and Large Villages and market towns, holding off strong challenges from Downham Market, Long Stratton and Fakenham to win the title in the final year of the event.

Over the six years of the competition we managed to win four area titles and two county titles and also came runners-up in the county finals on three occasions. We will have more on this shortly.

Over 200 Take Part in Annual Funrun

Over 200 runners took part in the annual two mile funrun held at the end of June 2016. We will have a full report and pictures of this event shortly.

LATEST NEWS FROM CLUBS:

Short Tennis Appeal- Elaine Canning is looking to set-up a short tennis group for adults in Hethersett. Anyone interested can contact Elaine on 01603 958033.

Hawks' Big Year - Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway Club is gearing up for a big year as it celebrates its Golden Jubilee. A special day of events is planned for Saturday May 21st and the club will also be competing on foreign soil for the first time when it contests the European Club Championships in Ostrow, Poland over the May Bank Holiday weekend. The season starts on March 20th with South East League matches against Norwich Stars. Members at the annual meeting heard of a new sponsor coming on board and the club will be making an announcement early in April. The Club will again contest the South East League with teams in Division 1 and Division 2, both of which will add fixtures against Sussex side Hellingly Lions for the first time. The transfer window threw up a couple of surprises with last year's top scorer and team manager Lee Grange moving back to Norwich Stars for family reasons. Former top scorer Oliver Riley, who took a year out in 2015, has also transferred to Norwich while Suffolk based Richie Williamson, who only raced a handful of matches in his two-year stay with the Hawks, has moved to Suffolk Club Great Blakenham. On the credit side former British Finalist Lee Smith has moved to Hethersett. Lee now lives and works in Peterborough after starting his career with Sandwell and having spells with East Park and Birmingham. He will bring a wealth of experience to the team. The "B" team manager Katie Adams is also looking to build on last season's improvement by including some of the recent recruits, mainly from the Attleborough area.

A very well attended January 2016 meeting with lots of new faces discussed the future of aport and leisure in Hethersett and the Meltons in the light of new development in the village.Latest accounts are available by clicking here Minutes of the January meeting are available by clicking here.

Hundreds Line Streets for Tour of Britain Race

Saturday 12th September, 2015, will live long in the memory of all those who took to the streets of Hethersett to watch the national Tour of Britain cycle race pass through.Hundreds of residents lined Queen's Road and Great Melton Road as the penultimate stage of the 2015 event made its way from Fakenham to Ipswich. The race entered Hethersett through Colney Lane, before going past the parish church and turning into the village at the Queen's Head. It then went the length of Queen's Road and Great Melton Road before turning left towards Wymondham.Bunting and specially made banners welcomed the riders into the village with the race entourage of police motorbike outriders and team back-up cars also adding to the colour of the event.Months of planning at a national level and weeks of organisation in the village culminated in the race which was through the village within minutes but which will have left a memory for young and old. Refreshments were served at Hethersett Queen's Head and Hethersett Methodist Church, there was a special sculpture on the playing field at Hethersett Junior School, the village sign was decorated and Hodge Podge shop in Oak Square organised games for children.Early morning rain thankfully gave way to warm sunshine in time for the race to pass through. A breakaway of a handful of riders was followed by the peloton (or pack) of riders. For the record the stage was won by German Andre Greipel and the entire tour went to Edvald Boasson Hagen from Norway who was riding for the BTN Qhubeka team.A full gallery of photographs of the day in the village and the race itself is available on the Hethersett Village web site. Just Click Here

Double Delight for Cricketers

Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club ended the season with a triple success. The second team won promotion to Division Four of the Norfolk Alliance after finishing runners-up. This was followed by the club winning the Norfolk Association of Cricket Officials Shield by beating Thetford by 102 runs in the final at Halvergate and then taking the Bernard Matthews Cup the following week with a five wicket victory over Downham Town in the final at Sprowston. The picture above shows the winning NACO Shield team

Hawks in National Bale Out Success

HETHERSETT HAWKS Cycle Speedway Club faced a massive challenge when, following 22 hours persistent rain, they had to be ready to entertain 109 youngsters from as far afield as Exeter and Lancashire for a National Round of the British Youth and Junior League. Early morning pumping of the drainage system and teamwork erecting facilities in wind and rain meant that all was ready by the 10 a.m. start. The Under-8s had the worst of the conditions being on first and the very young ones found it difficult to manage just one lap of the track yet alone the regulation three but they got lots of encouragement from the big crowd and lots of consideration from the referee.As the track eventually started to dry out there was some spectacular racing, especially in the Under-12s and Under-14s. Race of the day was the Under-12 Grand Prix final when favourite Lewis Brinkhoff (Kesgrave) spun on the starting gate but with determination and skill he picked off his opponents one by one to take the chequered flag.

Poole won the overall Club event followed by Ipswich and Kesgrave. The South Coast side only won the Under-14s but scored well in all categories. The other age groups were won by Kesgrave (Under-8s, Under-10s and Under-12s) Ipswich (under-17s) and Exeter (Girls). In addition to Brinkhoff the other Grand Prix were won by JJ Wildman (Exeter), Olly Reynolds (Kesgrave), James Bunting (Sheffield), Haydn Rowley (Wednesfield) and Lauren Hookway (Exeter).Hethersett only had one rider who had qualified from the Regional Rounds. Katie Adams was doing well in the Girls event but crashed heavily in a collision during her third ride. She reappeared in the rerun to beat Sammi Marsh from Birmingham but could not finish her final race. Bravely she took her place in the "C" Final which she won convincingly as a reward for her efforts.

Open Weekend Success

Hethersett held its sixth Open Weekend on July 4th and 5th with a come and try sports event on the Memorial Field and the annual two mile funrun which once again attracted over 200 runners/walkers despite heavy morning rain. The sun shone for the come and try event, although numbers taking part were down on previous years. Sports featured included cycle speedway, croquet, petanque, football, athletics, archery, netball, badminton, table tennis, bowls and shuffleboard at Woodcote Sheltered Housing Complex. The Sunday funrun once again attracted runners/joggers/walkers of all ages with the youngest five month old Poppy Steward and the oldest 73-year-old Mike Smith. First home was Mark Banfield in a time of 11 minutes and 40 seconds and the prize for the best fancy dress went to Andrew Billinghurst as Batman. Andrew is pictured opposite and and the top of the page some of the finishers celebrate their achievement. Everyone finishing the run received a Hethersett Open Weekend commemorative medal. The weekend also featured an interdenominational church service in Hethersett Social Club led by the Methodist Minister the Rev Matthew Olanrewaju.The Open Weekend started in 2010 in the build up to the London 2012 Olympic Games and has continued as part of the Hethersett legacy of those games with full support from Active Norfolk and Hethersett and the Melton's Sports Association.

Top Racing For Hawks

Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway staged the second round of the British Women and Girls League with competitors from as far afield as Exeter, Poole and Sheffield providing some tremendous racing. In the inter-regional competition the leaders Midlands defeated the South and South West 72-48. The East team was boosted by the inclusion of Hethersett riders Tiffany Collins and Katie Adams . They beat the North 67-42. The individual competition that followed provided even better racing as the riders were split into Senior and Intermediate categories. Full results are available on the Hawks web site.

Victory for Netball TeamHethersett continued its success in Norfolk Village Games competitions when the village's netball team triumphed in the annual Active Norfolk competition in Dereham. In the final Hethersett came up against a strong Great Massingham team and the sides couldn't be separated even after two periods of extra-time. Hethersett took the trophy on a golden goal rule of the first team to score. It was the team's first triumph in the competition depsite reaching the final in previous years. Final positions were: 1st Hethersett, 2nd Great Massingham, 3rd Long Stratton, 4th Scarning, 5th Rackheath, 6th Briston, 7th Old Catton, 8th Lophams, 9th Poringland and Framingham, 10th Hickling, 11th Beetley, 12th Southtown

Charity Cricket Match Raises Over £1,000

Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club raised £1,035 from a special pre-season cricket match against a Tony Selby Norfolk XI. The money will go to the Wymondham based Star Throwers cancer charity. The day included a raffle and many other attractions as Hethersett retained the Les King Star Throwers Patrons Trophy with a 28 run victory in the 40 overs a side game. The real winner, however, was the charity.

Four Hundred Join Cycle RideCycling in Hethersett is beginning to become an extreme pastime. Easter Sunday saw the fourth annual 30/60/90 ride which this year attracted 400 participants of all ages and abilities. Three courses started and finished at Hethersett Social Club with the first set of riders setting off on a 90 mile circuit of South Norfolk at 8 a.m. This went via Wymondham, Attleborough, Snetterton, East Harling, Banham, Long Stratton and Mulbarton. Ninety minutes later the 60-milers set off on a route that took in Wymondham, Old Buckenham, Attleborough, East Harling and Mulbarton. Finally the 30 mile event took in Wymondham, Old Buckenham and Mulbarton. The success of the event is mirrored by the success of Hethersett Velo Club which was founded in May 2013 and which has over 200 members. The group has regular club rides on Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings. On June 10th, 30 club members will be riding from Hethersett to Paris and on July 4th a number will attempt the 310 journey from the village to London and back via the Suffolk coast in a non stop overnight marathon. The club is not just about extreme cycling, however, as club nights tailor rides to suit all abilities and speeds

OUR SUCCESS STORY TO DATE

THE annual meeting of Hethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association took place at Park Farm Hotel on February 2nd. To read the minutes from this event click here. Also visit our coming diary events section by clicking here. We are proud to say that since we started in February 2011 the association has awarded over £3,000 to sports and fitness organisations in Hethersett and the Meltons and also supported a number of other grant applications. Together these add up to over £12,000 of money spent on health, sport, fitness and well boing. We are extremely grateful to Active Norfolk and South Norfolk Council for their support.

Since we began in February 2011, HaMSA has supported numerous existing sports and fitness groups and set-up and supported a number of new clubs. We have worked in partnership with Active Norfolk and South Norfolk Council to give out over £3,000 in grants which have included the following:

£400 to the Respect Yourself Charity to support their work with young people.

£300 to Hethersett Athletic for start up soccer teams at Under-6, U-7 and U-8 levels

£500 to Hethersett Croquet Club to set-up pitches and provide equipment

£500 to provide a petanque piste on Hethersett Memorial Playing Field.

£250 to Crisaders' Rugby Club to purchase equipment for the youth section

£500 to Hethersett Playing Field Bowls Club to help with improvements to their pavilion.

£250 to Hetherset Queen's Road Badminton Club to help with equipment and facilities.

£1,375 for a digital race clock

£25 for prizes for the Quest walking treasure hunt event

£300 for T-Shirts for Hethersett's entry into the Norfolk Village Games

£400 to Hethersett Netball Club to help with the setting up of a junior section

£86 towards the start up of a new yoga group in Hethersett

The association has also supported major grant applications to South Norfolk Council from Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway Club, Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club and Hethersett Netball Club, all of which have been successful.

Top Class Sports Complex Planned for Hethersett

A NEW community project to provide top class sports facilities is being launched in Hethersett. Plans for a new Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) are being put forward as part of a three-phase scheme on Hethersett Academy land. Alongside the MUGA, are plans for new changing facilities, followed by a third phase to feature a new indoor sports facility added. It is likely that the new Hethersett Olympic Legacy Sports Complex (HOLSC) will cost in excess of £1 million and plans are currently being drawn up and will be followed by grant applications. Two community groups have been set up to take the scheme forward.

A project/strategy team consisting of village volunteers and members of the Academy Management team will look at the overall picture for the complex and an implementation team will deal with plans and grants designed to bring the ideas to fruition. The aim is to have at least the MUGA in place to co-incide with the next Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro in 2016. “It is wonderful news that Hethersett Academy, Hethersett Parish Council, Sports and Community Groups have all come together and will endeavour to bring to reality, a vision of a Community Sports Complex, which will create a necessary and lasting Olympic legacy in our fine village,” said Shane Hull, a Hethersett Parish Councillor who is chair of the strategy group. His view was backed up by Hethersett Academy Principal Gareth Stevens who said: “Boosting participation in sport can generate a variety of socio-economic benefits. Sport can, and does, make a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and wider society. Physical activity, including sport, is linked to reduced risk of over 20 illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and some cancers.”

The MUGA complex will offer first class playing and training facilities for a number of outdoor sports including football, rugby, netball, hockey and many others. The indoor facility will facilitate badminton, table tennis, indoor bowls, martial arts, dance and a climbing wall.The complex will be run by a management group which will be put in place in the future and is a direct result of Hethersett’s 2012 London Olympic Legacy which has seen the village heralded as Norfolk sporting champions and gain a coveted Prime Minister’s Big Society award. “We have been determined in Hethersett to keep the Olympic Legacy alive and to help it make a real difference to people’s lives. This new complex will provide top class facilities for individuals and sports groups and is a massive step towards improving facilities and enhancing fitness and well being in Hethersett,” said Peter Steward who is a member of the strategy group and Chair of Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association.

When built, the complex, which will be situated on the bottom of the existing Academy Field close to Back Lane, will be used by the school during the day in term times, but will be available to the community evenings and weekends. “During the day the complex will be used by the Academy to promote sports participation and foster well-being as part of the broad and extended curriculum. Outside of the Academy day it will be used by the local community, again to promote sport participation as part of a healthy lifestyle,” Mr Stevens added. The overall management of the project will be undertaken by Academy Business Manager Richard Cole.

Netball Juniors Are in the Money

Hethersett Junior Netball Club has been awarded over £1,300 towards new equipment in what is the 100th grant to be handed out by South Norfolk Council in 2014 as part of their community project funding.

Cricket Duo Swap Bats for Lycra for Charity

TWO members of Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club swapped their bats for lycra to undertake a 100 mile charity bike ride.Ian Bryce (33) and Paul Reeve (44) are used to compiling century partnerships for the club, but their latest marathon effort was in aid of a badly injured fellow sportsman and in memory of Australian cricketer Phil Hughes who died after being hit by a cricket ball.The original motivation for the trip was to raise funds for popular and well known local footballer Paul English from Dersingham. Paul suffered an horrific broken leg whilst playing and will be unable to work for many months. After several operations and skin grafts the West Norfolk family man is on the way to recovery. In response to this, friends, family and amateur sportsman around the county rallied around to raise money for Paul and his family. A Football tournament, memorabilia auction, raffle, sale of sweets and collections have managed to take the total to well over £3000 so far. A few days before the ride the Sporting world was shocked to hear the news of Australian cricketer Phil Hughes dying as a result of injuries received by being hit by a bouncer. “The tragedy that befell Phil Hughes was particularly awful and head/brain injury is unfortunately something that appears to be something that is far too much of a regular occurrence in sports in this day and age,” Paul and Ian said.With this in mind they decided to share the proceeds from their ride between two causes. The Tas Valley pair suggested the local branch of Headway – a support charity for people affected by Brain injury. To date they have raised over £400 for the causes.Ian Johnson, a director of the Headway charity was delighted to receive news of the donation. He said: “Headway Norfolk and Waveney Ltd is the only charity that gives help and support to people affected by an acquired brain injury in our county. We do this locally via three centres in Gorleston, Norwich and King’s Lynn and offer a wide range of services, including rehabilitation programmes, carer support, social re-integration and community outreach. However, we are working in a very challenging environment with the current economic climate evidencing wholesale budget cuts from the public sector, and quite frankly, we are struggling. So, whilst we are affiliated to Headway UK, as a small regional charity we are particularly grateful for any and all donations.”Ian Bryce added: “Paul Reeve threw this idea at me late one evening via Facebook. He had volunteered us both to make the ride and I was more than happy to take part, but over the next few days I felt we could do even more. Cycling, Cricket, Head injuries, the death of Phil Hughes and the huge disruption to Paul English’s life seemed to fit together and we came up with the idea of supporting Headway too. Reeve added “It was a bit of a crazy idea to volunteer a cycle ride to Dersingham and back when we hadn’t ever ridden more than 34 miles in one hit. But in truth it was no real hardship (Except to the seat area!) considering it could easily have been either of us hit by a ball or injured making a tackle. Other local businesses also supported the pair. Neil Featherby at Sportlink offered guidance and support as well as setting the pair off from his specialist sports shop in Taverham by leading them out on the first mile with his Husky-Wolf dogs. Simply Airports Taxis of Norwich also offered a hand by being the support vehicle on the day. Donations can still be made and more information on the ride and the charities involved is available via e-mail to cricket@htvcc.co.uk.

Clubs Celebrate Successful Seasons

TWO of Hethersett's leading sports clubs held their presentation evenings on December 5th and 6th respectively. Hethersett Hawks celebrated another successful season at Hethersett Social Club when members and families attended the Club's presentation evening. As well as acknowledging trophies won during the season, notably runners-up in South-East League Division 1, the club made a number of special awards. Oliver Riley was announced as Top Scorer while the club committee selected Daniel Longlands as Best Newcomer and Beth Allen as Most Improved Junior. Secretary Mel Perkins selected Phil Awbery as his Club Member of the Year and the three Team Managers nominated their Riders of the Year - 1st team Nick Myhill, 2nd team Katie Adams and Youth team Giles Awbery. The final award was voted for by the members and Committee on the night and the Club's prestgious Sports Person of the Year award went to Katie Adams. Som eof the Hawks winners are pictured above left.

* * * Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club has a bright future thanks to a youth policy that is bringing through excellent young players, club chairman Tony Smith told the club’s presentation evening. For the first time the club combined its annual Christmas meal with the presentation event. “Overall 2014 was a rather up and down season, but overall it was very positive with so many of our young players featuring in adult cricket. Our future looks bright and we have one of the best grounds and facilities in Norfolk,” he said. He thanked club members for their efforts throughout the season, the Ellis family for making the facilities available at Flordon and Paul Reeve for organising the meal and presentation event. The season brought a number of successes. The third team were runners-up in Division Five of the Norfolk League, gaining a double promotion to play next season in Division Three after a re-arrangement of the league. The Sunday team reached the semi-final of the Sunday Cup, only being denied a final place on the toss of a coin after heavy rain. The Sunday team also reached the regional final of the National Village Cup competition, which the club entered for the first time. The midweek side were victorious in the Wensum Cup. David Coyle was named overall player of the year for a number of outstanding performances with both bat and ball. Performance of the season went to 14-year-old Tom Osborne for an unbeaten 173 for the third team in the final match of the season which saw them win to finish runners-up. The most improved player award went to Crispin Clarke, another former youth team player, and the young player of the year award to young spin bowler Sam Morton. Sam also won the overall bowling cup. Full awards: First team: Batting, Paul Reeve; Bowling, David Coyle. Second team: Batting, Rob Mitchell; Bowling, Matt Steward. Third team: Batting, Ross Jones; bowling, Cameron Clarke. Fourth team: Batting, Mark Worley; bowling, Sanjewa Jayakodi. Overall Batting, Paul Reeve; Overall Bowling, Sam Morton; Duck Cup for most ducks, Damian Fahy and Ian Harrison; Catching Cup (including wicketkeepers), David Coyle; Catching Cup excluding wicketkeepers, David Coyle; Most Improved Player, Crispin Clarke; Best Performance, Tom Osborne; Young Player of the Year, Sam Morton; Club Person of the Year, Stuart Cooper; Player of the Year, David Coyle. Before the presentations, the club honoured the name of Australian cricketer Phil Hughes, who died as a result of being hit by a cricket ball. The tribute was led by first team bowler Phil Walmsley. Above right player of the year David Coyle receives his trophy from club chairman Tony Smith.

Sports Village of the Year Runners-Up

Hethersett finished runners-up in this year's Active Norfolk Sports Village of the Year. This year we were beaten into first place by Fakenham. We previously won the event in 2011 and 2013 and were also crowned champion of champions in 2011.

Presentations at October MeetingCheques were presented at the October meeting of Hethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association to Hethersett Netball Club and the Respect Yourself group. The netball club received £400 from the association to help fund the setting up of a new junior group and Respect Yourself received over £100 from district councillor David Bills. In the picture on the left Association treasurer Shane Hull presents the cheque to Jacqui Horsfield, Toni Horsfield and Helen Lawn from the netball club and in the centre Councillors David Bills and Leslie Dale present a cheque to Bobby Dowling and Claire Burke of Respect Yourselves.

The meeting agreed to the amalgamation of Hethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association with Hethersett Olympic Legacy Committee. For more about the meeting click here to read the minutes.

Friendly Croquet Rivalry The well established Norwich Croquet Club and the fledgeling Hethersett clubs got together for a match where friendship was the key word. To read an article on this please go to the croquet section in our About the Clubs area which is accessible on the left hand side of this site. The photo shows the two clubs.

Netball NewsHethersett Netball Club organised a quiz evening at
Hethersett Village Hall with proceeds being
divided between the club and Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. Over £800 was raised.
The netball club has set up a new junior section with
funding provided by Hethersett and the Meltons’ Sports Association.

Hethersett Societies' DayHethersett and the Meltons Sports Association took part in the village societies day on Saturday, September 6th in Hethersett Village Hall. The day showcased 26 organisations in the village covering all ages and subjects from health and fitness to the environment, youth services to pensioners' clubs.

Cricketers Lift Wensum CupPictured are the triumphant Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket team after winning the Wensum Cup 20-20 trophy on July 15th. Hethersett beat Eaton by 30 runs in the final at Flordon.

County Champions at LastHethersett and the Meltons are Active Norfolk Village Sports champions for 2014. After achieving the runners-up slot in 2011, 2012 and 2013, we went one better this year to beat off the challenge of last year's champions Diss in the finals at UEA Sportspark. Other teams taking part in the section for Large Villages and Market Towns were Fakenham, Gorleston, Aylsham and Downham Market. Hethersett won on countback after finishing on the same number of points as Diss. We came top in a number of sports including tag rugby, badminton, darts, tennis and fitness triathlon. we will have more information on the success shortly.

Open Weekend SuccessTHE fifth annual Hethersett Open Day held over the weekend of July 5th and 6th proved another success with hundreds of people taking part in four events over the two day period. Our picture shows some of the 215 runners setting off in the two mile funrun. Top right shows the proud finishers with their medals. Bottom left is the first runner home Adam Lewis who clocked a time of just over 10 minutes. Next to him are just some of those who took part in the tug-of-war contest held at the end of the Come and Try Sports event. To read a full report of the weekend click here. A gallery of photographs of the funrun is available by clicking here

Annual Schools' Cricket Festival The weather put a slight dampener on Hethersett and Tas Valley’s second annual schools cricket festival. Bright early morning sunshine saw the competition get well underway and reach the final stages before heavy early afternoon rain brought a halt. Despite the weather over 50 budding young cricketers from seven schools competed. The youngsters were randomly mixed up to create teams of eight to enjoy games of Kwik cricket and also to make new friends from other schools. Each team had different coloured T shirts sponsored by Admiral Civil Engineering in conjunction with Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club. Schools taking part were Aslacton Primary, Newton Flotman Primary, Preston Primary at Tasburgh, Saxlingham Primary, St Mary’s Junior School from Long Stratton and Shelton with Hardwick School. Kwik cricket puts the emphasis on involving all players in both batting and bowling with each team, made up of a mix of boys and girls, starting with 200 runs and being deducted five runs for each wicket lost. The event was organised by Hethersett and Tas Valley club member Sarah Worley and supported by teachers, helpers and coaches from the cricket club. Afterwards Sarah said that the day had proved to be another success despite the best efforts of the weather which saw the final having to be cancelled. After some hectic re-calculation the White team was declared the winners.

Four in a RowHethersett are once again South Norfolk sporting champions - for the fourth year in a row. Hethersett and the Meltons won the large villages/market towns section of the Active Norfolk South Norfolk Sports and go on to compete in the county finals at UEA Sportspark on July 13th. Once again the fierce but friendly rivalry between Hethersett and Diss was to the fore with the teams locked together on points at the end of the 11 sport competition at Long Stratton. A countback system also failed to separate the two teams and the competition was declared a tie with both going through to the county final. Last year saw Diss and Hethersett tie in the county final, only for the top prize to be awarded to Diss on countback. The competition was split into three groups for small villages (populations under 1250), medium villages (populations between 1251 and 4250) and large villages and market towns (populations over 4251 and under 10,000). Hethersett and the Meltons came top in a number of sports including archery, badminton, darts, table tennis and five-a-side football. Eleven sports were featured with many being divided into junior and senior competitions. The Hethersett team featured well over 50 competitors of all ages from eight to eighty. The latest trophy will be on display along with many others won by the village over the past 10 years in the new cabinet in Hethersett Library.

Keeping On TimeHethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association has been presented with a digital race clock thanks to a generous grant from South Norfolk Council. It is one of only two such clocks in the county and will be available to hire free of charge by clubs affiliated to HaMSA. Other groups can hire the clock for a fee. OPur photograph opposite shows the presentation of the clock and cheque by district councillor David Bills (left) to association treasurer Shane Hull ahead of the launch of a new seven week running group (see below). See also our Press Cuttings section

From a Hut to a PavilionHethersett Memorial Playing Field Bowls Club have turned their hut into a pavlion thanks to a number of grants, including £500 from Hethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association. Much of the work was carried out by club members themselves and have given the club headquarters to be proud of. Our picture shows club members outside the improved building.

Hawks Host Successful Under-19 British ChampionshipsHethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway Club held a highly successful Under-19s British Championships despite heavy overnight and morning rain bringing the necessity of emergency work on the track on the Memorial Field. The event was won by defending champion Ricki Johnson from Wednesfield after aride off against Ipswich's Charlie Rumbold. Hethersett's Ollie Riley came fourth and Ollie Buxton 11th. The event was kindly sponsored by Haart Estate Agents.

Cricketers Beaten in Two County FinalHethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club were beaten by Cambridegsehire side Foxton in the Norfolk/Cambridgeshire area final of the Davidstow National Village Cup. Valley put up a brave fight before going down by five wickets to very strong opponents.

Running Group SuccessThe latest running course led by Active Norfolk's former Olympic Athlete Paul Evans and run in conjunction with Hethersett and the Meltons' Sports Association has attracted over 40 runners. The course will conclude on Thursday 3rd July. A new eight week course for existing and new runners will then start on 10th July on Hethersett Memorial Playing Field on Thursday Evenings from 7 until 8 p.m.

Trophies for FootballersHethersett Athletic Football Club has completed another highly successful season with a number of trophies coming their way. There were league championships for the Under-11s and Under-14s and cup victories for the Under-14s and Under-19s. In addition the Under-19s were runners-up in their league.

Trophy and Archive Cabinet in Hethersett LibraryA new cabinet to show off trophies won by Hethersett over the past 10 years has been installed in the village library. The list of awards makes sparkling reading. Awards for the village include: Prime Minister's Big Society National Award 2013, Norfolk Village of the Year 2001; Eastern Daily Press Pride in Norfolk Community of the Year 2006 and 2012 Runner-up 2008; Olympic Inspiration Award 2010; EDP Event of the Year runner-up 2010; South Norfolk Village Games winners 2011,2012, 2013 and 2014; Norfolk Village Games runners-up 2011, 2012 and 2013. EDP/Active Norfolk/Radio Norfolk Sports Village of the Year 2011 and 2013; EDP/Active Norfolk Sports Champion of Champions 2011.The cabinet will also be used for displays of village archives

All Weather SurfaceHethersett is bidding for a 3G all weather sports pitch at Hethersett Junior School. Initial meetings have been held between members of Hethersett Parish Council, representatives from Hethersett and the Meltons Sports Association, member sports clubs and school and community stakeholders.

Anyone interested in more information should contact either Wayne Johnson on 01603 810561 or Shane Hull on 07879 628943. To read more about this initiative please click here.

Sports ShortsOver 500 riders took part in the annual 30-60-90 cycle ride on Easter Sunday.* * *Hethersett's weekly mobile gym has closed.The
initiative failed to attract enough support to make it a viable
proposition. We are grateful to South Norfolk Council and Active Norfolk
for their support of the gym during its six month run.* * *Hethersett Athletic Football Club has launched a new 100 Club. A monthly top prize of £100 will be awarded and the cost of tickets is just £5 per month. Full details are available on the club's web site at www.hethersettathetic.co.uk* * *Hethersett
and Tas Valley Cricket Club opened their season with a charity cricket
match against Tony Selby's Norfolk X1. Hethersett won the game but the
real winner was the Wymondham based Star Throwers Cancer Charity which
benefited by over £600. * * *Queen's Road Badminton Club is looking for more players for its Thursday sessions at Old Hall School. Youngsters over 12 years of age and adults who want to imrpove their game will be welcome from 8 until 9 p.m. The cost is just £2 per session and qualified coaches are on hand to help. * * *Hethersett Netball Club finished third in the annual Active Norfolk tournament held at Neatherd High School, Dereham.